Specifications:This ultra-fast telephoto, a new member of Canon legendary L-series lenses, has totally new optics to provide better image quality. It uses fluorite and UD lens elements for excellent chromatic aberration correction and consists of 17 elements in 12 groups. The built-in Optical Image Stabilizer gives it up to 4 stops of stabilization correction. The inner USM and optimized AF algorithms result in fast and quiet autofocusing, and the circular aperture can even produce beautiful out-of-focus images. This ultra-high-performance lens also improves its durability - better dust- and water-proofing. The EF 200mm f/2L IS USM is outstanding for many available-light applications, including indoor sports, theater work, fashion, and candids at events.

Superb combo with the new MKIV. Also works great with both the 1.4 and the 2X. Also shares the same filter size with the other "White Whales". This had turned into my favorite sideline len. Sample images under P-51's on the forum.

Jun 9, 2010

gcruzOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Apr 3, 2007Location: United StatesPosts: 40

Review Date: May 20, 2010

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Super Sharp
Bokeh

Cons:

Expensive (buy when there is a $500 rebate) - check canonpricewatch.com

Warning, do not view these two threads if you are on the fence about buying this lens.

I have been wanting this lens ever since it came out. I shoot mostly portrait and this looked to be a winner. I rented it and was impressed but had a hard time justifying the cost. A few weeks after that I found a good deal on a hardly used lens and went for it. I sold my wonderful 300 2.8 IS to help fund this lens.

When I first got it I was a little disappointed in the sharpness of my images. But after some testing I dialed in MA +4 on my 1Ds III and now this lens just blows me away! I have never seen anything so sharp and the ability to blur the background is just amazing. The IS is so much better than what is on the 300 2.8 IS and my 70-200 2.8 IS I.

This lens will be used extensively for Senior Portraits and individual portraits. It has exceeded my expectations in all areas. I also find this pretty easy to hand hold, but I am a big guy. My used copy came with a RRS foot and I find that the extra length of that helps me to hold the lens better.

My summay is that this lens is like my 135L on steroids. My 135 was my absolute favorite...until now. I would highly recommend this lens!

Tim

Mar 29, 2010

airfrogusmcOnlineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Jan 12, 2010Location: United StatesPosts: 3519

Review Date: Feb 1, 2010

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $5,300.00
| Rating: 10

Pros:

The sharpest Canon lens I 've shot with and I've shot with a bunch of the best. I can hand hold this lens pretty consistently at 1/40th and use it a lot in low light, available light candid situations.

Cons:

The biggest down side is the price and size but its worth the price and you get use to the size.

One of the best lenses you can by period.

Feb 1, 2010

mediluzOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Jan 13, 2006Location: ItalyPosts: 0

Review Date: Jan 21, 2010

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $5,800.00
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Likely the best image quality I've ever experienced

Cons:

Weight, price, unpratcical hood and cover handling

Besides weight , price and some difficulties in handling hood and lens cover, the major drawback of this lens is that pictures produced by most of others will appear .. junk. I had more than one reason of complaining about Canon, but this lens is a true optical masterpiece, by far the best I ever handled

Jan 21, 2010

briweed22OfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Nov 23, 2008Location: United StatesPosts: 44

Review Date: Dec 26, 2009

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $4,700.00
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Stunningly sharp at f/2.0. This lens is better than the 300 f/2.8. Just as sharp, even down at f/2.0.

Cons:

I own the 300mm f/2.8 IS lens and thought that this would be just about the same. Boy was I wrong.... this lens is super sharp and is the best portrait lens I have ever used (own 135 f/2, 85 f/1.2). Highly recommend, especially with Canon's $500.00 rebate. Once you buy it, you won't regret it.

Dec 26, 2009

Canon RumorsOfflineBuy and Sell: On

Registered: Dec 14, 2005Location: CanadaPosts: 290

Review Date: Dec 4, 2009

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $5,000.00
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Sharpness, Colour, Contrast, Bokeh are all epic. Autofocus is super fast and the IS is great. Lens is built like a tank. Very well balanced and useable.

Cons:

None

I have been blown away by this lens. I replaced my 70-200 f/2.8L IS with this.... I thought I'd miss the zoom. I haven't.

This is a great lens for indoor sports (ice hockey) and shooting my kid. I've used it some for landscape as well.

Just had this lens for about 2 weeks, taken mostly indoor low light shots at 1/40sec to 1/125 sec hand held with 1DM3. Result is spectacular. The IS really lives up to expectation and the AF is really fast even at low light.

The 200 f2L IS is my second favourite lens behind my 85 1.2L
I use it mostly for indoor sport, and bought it primarily because I wanted something faster than my 70-200 f2.8L IS.
I find the 200 to be a fairly difficult lens to accurately focus wide open on moving subjects due to the thin DOF that results from f2 at 200mm, but stopped down to f2.8 it delivers sensational images that makes my 70-200 2.8L IS look pretty ordinary, So much so that the 70-200 rarely gets used anymore.
Despite the difficultly in achieving accurate focus wide open on moving subjects, properly focused shots are impressively sharp. On the focus front, shooting stationary subjects wide open brings much better results, with a near perfect strike rate.
I use this lens on my 1dmk3 and 1dsmk3, neither of which have the best reputations for focusing abilities, so it is possible that this lens is even better than I realise.

Aug 14, 2009

nazdravanulOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Jul 1, 2008Location: RomaniaPosts: 170

Review Date: Jul 14, 2009

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Superb IQ, 4 stop IS, f2 with amazing resolution .

Cons:

It made me sell my 300 2.8 IS (I wish I could have afforded to keep both :) ).

Everything said and written about this lens is true, and then some . It makes all my other L primes (past or present ) (except the 300 2.8 is, of course ) look mediocre (and I own/have owned all L primes/zooms from 14 2.8 mk2 to 300 2.8 IS .
Comparing it to the 300 in terms of IQ, makes it impossible to draw a winner, even though I might have had a slight personal preference for the 300 reach/perspective/colors. But in terms of sheer practicality (f2, 4 stop IS, more compact, better layout) the 200 is a clear winner.
Maybe the 300 is a little bit better with the 2x extender, but only by a very small margin - I will use my 200 with the 2x, if necessary, without hesitation. With the 1.4x the 200 may have a little edge over the 300 with 1.4x, but the differences at this level are incredibly subtle.

Jul 14, 2009

dolinaOnlineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Nov 4, 2008Location: United StatesPosts: 3819

Review Date: Jun 27, 2009

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Lead-free glass. Better MTF chart than 200/1.8L's. No antiquated focus-by-wire focusing. AI Servo works as great as the 800/5.6L IS. As hand-holdable as the 300/2.8L IS. Preferred tripod ring location. Shorter CFD by 600 cm than 200/1.8L. Has IS @ 4 full stops. Half a kilogram lighter than 200/1.8L. Cheaper than the two 200/1.8L copies my friend and I found on two local forums. Will be serviced by Canon for decades to come.

Cons:

I consider these pseudo-Cons: 1/3--stop smaller/slower aperture than the 200/1.8L but the 4-stop IS more than makes up for that. Not as well known as the "legendary" 200/1.8L.

I will benchmark the 200/2L IS to two other white primes namely the 800/5.6L IS and the 300/2.8L IS.

First off lead-free glass is a load worth of less worry.

The 200L IS delivers superb IQ like the 800L IS and 300/2.8L IS.

Modern focusing mechanism performs as well as the 800/5.6L IS.

My focus lock rate on AI Servo is as good as the 800/5.6L IS and 300/2.8L IS. This basically means fantastic!

Tripod ring is located in the logical place but I wish the feet had two mounting screws like the 800/5.6L IS.

A 1.9m vs 200/1.8L's 2.5m closest focusing distance is very helpful.

4 full stops IS more than makes up for the 1/3rd smaller/slower stop from the lens it replaces.

While waiting for the 200/2L IS to arrive I read up and was tempted by the allure of the "legendary" 200/1.8L. So my friend and I looked and found two local owners who asked a sum equivalent to the purchasing price of two brand new fast L primes namely the 200/2L IS + 135/2L. Looking at the two pseudo-"Cons" on my FM review it isn't that hard to laugh the asking price off and give the 200/2L IS a perfect "10" in price.

Warranty and support by Canon for the 200/2L IS is on going and expected to last at least a couple of decades. For those who do not know Canon USA & Canada has refused to service the 200/1.8L because Japan stopped making spare parts.

So if it breaks you either (a) need to look for a donor lens to cannibalize parts from, (b) manufacture the part yourself or (c) at worse have yourself a very expensive & very heavy manual focus lens.

Jun 27, 2009

thedigitalbeanOfflineBuy and Sell: On

Registered: Jun 24, 2005Location: United StatesPosts: 6271

Review Date: Jun 21, 2009

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Sharp right into the corners, wonderful bokeh, lightning fast AF, punchy colors and great contrast, total lack of CA

Cons:

This is probably Canon's finest piece of glass to date. Extremely sharp, I've found it to be very sharp even at the corners by f/2.8 on the 1Ds3, making it an excellent landscape lens. The lens also has almost no CA even wide open and even in the corners, truly impressive.

The bokeh has a wonderful quality to it and is as nice as the 85L (though has a different feel that the 85L bokeh). The AF is lightning fast and the IS is extremely effective.

Of course there's the price and the weight, but I guess you can't have it all.

Jun 21, 2009

djenuwineOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: May 26, 2009Location: FrancePosts: 0

Review Date: May 26, 2009

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Built quality, very sharp at F2 , great contrast and colors, 4-stop IS

Cons:

Price, weight

It's probably the better Canon lens!
Very sharp, you can have a beautiful bokeh and great colors, it's amazing.
You win 4-stop when you activate the IS!

But : 135 L F2 can give you similar image quality for a moderate weight and a less expensive price

So, if you don't need a 200mm lens, the 135 L will be a better choice.

Why did i buy this lens?
Because i need F2 aperture and 200mm => the 200mm L II 2.8 is a great lens, but not as sharp at F/2.8 than the 200 F2 IS at F/2

May 26, 2009

factoryphotoOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Jul 5, 2004Location: United StatesPosts: 304

Review Date: May 24, 2009

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $4,800.00
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Super fast AF with this lens..Colors,contrast and IQ are second to none just simply amazing.

Cons:

Id say the price but u get what you pay for this lens is priceless

I shoot Motocross and family stuff but 99.9% motocross..I had a 300mm 2.8 and that was a great lens but had it stolen..I was in the market again for another prime but I felt for some tracks I shoot the 300mm on a non FF camera was a bit limited with lots of media around blocking the line of sight.I looked at this lens and thought 200mm (260mm on Mark III) would be perfect. People ask why would I need a F2.0 lens for outdoors?Well with my 300 2.8 I didnt shoot wide open I shot between 4.0 and 5.6 most of the time and occasionally wide open. Its the speed of focus and the colors you get from these hign end primes is what makes me want to shoot with them.
My first day I was not impressed with it but it was all me..I tried some different metering modes and setting and all I can say is wow.I just shot the AMA motocross national opening round and used my new Mark III and this 200mm 2.0 most of the weekend. I can tell you how great the photos came out but you can see for yourself here.http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/775947
I will shoot some indoor motocross this week and this lens will shine there indoors but dont hesitate even if your shooting outdoors with this lens. Yes its a "specialty" lens but that does not mean that it will not work outdoors..This lens is as good if not better than the 300 F2.8 lens and thats saying alot. Put a 1.4 extender on it you got your self a whole nother lens at 2.8. This is my favorite lens to date that ive owned with my 70-200 2.8 close but just not in the same league as this gem. This is just simply an outstanding all around do it all lens and with a 1.4 EX you have the choice of lens for whatever you do without losing IQ or F stop.
Great great great!